Follow Me Home
by moonfulls
Summary: Over the phone, on the sixtieth year of her self imprisonment, he instructs her to pack lightly and be ready to leave town, she can hear the hum of a foreign language in the background. Strangely she can even feel the sun.
1. Follow Me Home

_chapter one: **You say go slow, I fall behind.**_

Caroline treads slowly through the woods. Her black boots trudging through the dirt and fall maple leaves. Her hands are warm inside the pockets of her brown leather jacket. The mist inside the forest slowly rises up to her knees as she walks deeper and deeper into the forbidden expanse of space. Her feet all-knowingly lead her to the one place she knows she shouldn't be near. Caroline has practiced what she will say when she reaches her destination.

_I'm sorry._

Steadily the great white mansion appears before her. The drive way is empty; so unlike the evening of the ball many, many years ago. The hedges untrimmed, the extravagant fountain dry, the white colour on the pillars deteriorating. Caroline can remember the first time she was here, on the night of the ball, thrown not so graciously by Esther. She remembers the white horse, and paintings, the sketches, the gifts enclosed in luxury velvet and wrapped in smooth ribbon. She remembers words, _his _words.

_Beautiful, Strong, and full of light._

Caroline can remember the first time she was here. Sixty years of walking through the woods behind her and searching through the house in front of her. Sixty summers walking through the woods in floral white dresses, sixty autumns of brown leather jackets, sixty winters of red mittens and sixty silk scarves in the spring. Caroline can remember the first time she was here, and the second, and the third, the fourth, fifth and then every day after, for the last sixty years. For sixty years she has watched her whole shift and be pulled from under her. She watches as her friends say their last goodbyes and make plans of returning.

_I promise, we'll see each other soon._

She knows there's a slim chance that they'll all be together again in the same place at the same time. This place they all once called home is home no longer, just a mere flash of memory and nostalgia. The Lockwood mansion burnt to the ground, Gilbert house destroyed and re-built as a homeless youth shelter. Matt's house broken, vandalised and home to vermin and decomposing bodies. The only shelter she has to remember her childhood by is Bonnie's villa, which now belongs to a panicky Scandinavian family. Caroline still has her own home to go to, but home is where the heart is. And she lost that, sometime many years ago.

_Where we love is home, home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts._i

The house is now covered in a thick layer of dust, the grand staircase unused, and the large chandelier detached and placed in the basement. The oak flooring creaks underneath her as she treads carefully through the hallways of mansion. There is no butler at her service, no waiter to offer her champagne, no music to quiet down the thudding of her dead heart. Silently her hands turn the bronze knob of the door to a room where she knows she does not belong. Her eyes catch the morning mist swimming through the barely opened windows, the moon illuminating patches of location within the area. She stands in front of the empty wall which once occupied a large Manet. The table in front of her is void of the sketches it once held, only to be covered by a white sheet.

She knows he did this on purpose, if she would not have him; he made sure she would have nothing.

"My deepest condolences, Caroline." Her short blonde hair whips fast against her face as she turns to find the source of the voice from behind her. There, sitting languorously in a large leather armchair in the corner of the room, with a glass of scotch in his hands is Elijah, not a day aged since his last day here. She tries to regain her composure but what the hell, he's a thousand years old and like a certain doppelgänger many years ago, she has the good sense to look frightened.

"Elijah." She breathes, as a grimace creeps up his face.

"Sheriff Forbes was a great comrade back in her days," He continues, "For her trust and support, I will be forever thankful. Apologies for my absence during the funeral, I had some… business that needed taking care of."

"What are you doing back here?" It's the first sentence she has conjured in his presence. It lacks her usual force and anger, but she mentally congratulates herself for saying something, _anything_.

"In case you've forgotten Caroline, this is _my_ home." And she can highlight so many flaws in that remark, she wants to say things like _no, this is __**his**__ home, _or _only the living, breathing deserve homes._

"No Elijah, it's not. It hasn't been for the last six decades." Caroline says forcefully, folding her arms and looking him in the eyes. Elijah contemplates her reply for a moment before deciding to ignore her; he gets up from his seat, not a wrinkle in sight on his impeccable navy suit and makes his way towards her. Caroline stands still as he approaches, her arms still firmly crossed and her feet planted steadily onto the floor, yet her dead heart beating frantically like a scared gazelle's.

Elijah reaches out to rub his thumb over her cheeks and down her jawline, she lets him because it's been a while since she had any form of contact with another being. Human or not. He notices the lack of colour on her face, her blonde fading and fraying, her pink glossy lips replaced by a light prune colour.

"When was the last time you had blood, Caroline? _**Human blood**_?" he asks. Surely, the girl wasn't on the rabbit diet. He needed to have a serious word with the youngest Salvatore. Even though they're both pretty sure he knows the answer, Elijah looks into the blue eyes of the baby vampire and initiates an obvious attempt to compel her. "Tell me."

"Twenty years." She replies immediately, easily, and it's just as he suspected. She's been reckless, careless. Abandoning all practices for self-preservation. She's been selfish and inattentive. Silly girl.

"Stopped wearing the lapis ring around the same time." Caroline adds willingly, really what was the point anymore? She sees him struggle to say something comforting, to make her feel content. But nothing he says could comfort her, what would he know about living in abandonment, isolation and half a century of unwilling loneliness? He can't feel what she feels right now. Not even being daggered and placed in a coffin for a hundred years could cover for what she's been feeling every day for the last twenty one thousand days.

"Why are you here, Elijah?" she asks again, not wanting to stretch their time together any longer. She needed to get back home soon, even after all these years, the woods weren't safe after a certain time.

"It's time to let go of Mystic Falls, Caroline," Elijah says softly. "It's time for you to leave." Caroline flinches as he coos these words.

"You can't banish me from my own-."

"That's why I'm suggesting politely. You need to leave this town, move on and not look back. There's nothing left here for you, anymore," The eldest Mikaelson instructs and explains. "This is for you benefit."

"Why not just dagger me?" Caroline whimpers sarcastically, by now she is in Elijah's arms as he comfortingly holds her. He laughs, for the first time in what seems like a long while, at her remark.

"Now, now that would be a tragedy sweetheart. See I'm not sure whether Katerina and Damon would be too fond of the passing of their only creation. I also don't think _He _would let me bat another eyelid for any longer afterwards," she realises the truths in his words. "Killing you would be such a waste; you with all your strength, beauty and light," Elijah teases, knowingly.

_Strong, Beautiful, and Full of light._

"The world can't afford to lose Caroline Forbes."

* * *

She occasionally wonders if her mother and father are watching over her now. Bodies rejuvenated back to youthful years and hands clasped with each other's respectful partners. She thinks they are now happy, _they must be._ It's been a month since the passing of her mother, and she's content in knowing fully it was natural. No pain, no screams, no blood, _no bites_.

Elizabeth Forbes was never the mother her daughter wanted her to be. She was however, in many ways better than Caroline hoped for. Once the last of Caroline's friends had disappeared, she made it her topmost priority to make up for lost time with her daughter, and for the times she would not be here.

"Caroline," Liz says to her daughter as they sit side by side next to Bill's grave. "Do you think you'll ever forget my face?" Surprisingly there is no quality of fear, or sadness in her voice. Just a simple question.

"Mom, please."

Liz smiles. "Why avoid the inevitable? Tell me, I want to know."

Caroline clasps her Liz's hand and rests her head against the large maple tree protecting her father's body. "Daughters don't forget their mothers." she says with a tone of finality. As if to convince herself of these words. "I haven't forgotten dad. And you're no exception either."

* * *

They're in the kitchen the next time Liz asks another question about her daughter's future without a mother. "What will you do once I'm gone?"

"Seriously, mom?" Caroline looks up from her bowl of _so-effing-good _penne pasta, her mouth full but in a scowl.

"Ease my distress, Care!" Caroline gulps down half a glass of milk after finishing the pasta in her mouth. She slumps with a sigh. Elbows on the kitchen counter. Slowly she begins to speak.

"I don't know, I might go to college, Brown maybe. Climb Macchu Picchu, help people suffering," Liz, with a smile that crinkled her eyes, had started to nod her head violently in approval, so Caroline continued with a blank face, "Colour my hair green, change my name to something endearing like Angela, or Svetlana, or something to shock the status quo like Timothy!" With her eyes wide, she finishes in a sarcastic tone. Liz folds her arms.

"You're not seventeen any more Caroline." Pointing out the obvious. "I need you to get used to the fact that one day I won't be here." Caroline ignores her mother, finishes her penne and her milk before heading up towards her room.

* * *

"If you weren't a vampire, do you think I would be a grandmother right now?" It is two years later, her eyebrows furrow as she watches the superbowl with great concentration. She's not as shocked with her mother's nagging and questioning as she used to be. Caroline knows once the question has been asked she can't avoid answering too long. She turns away from the half time show and faces her mother, who is calmly knitting crème coloured booties for an unborn baby.

What does surprises her though, is that for the first time in years her mother has asked a question in relation to herself. There is a slight pang of guilt as Caroline realises what she had robbed her mother off. That Liz Forbes wouldn't be able to complete her last rite of passage in life. Her mother patiently waits for an answer as her hands twist and turn the yarn around the needles. Caroline wants to take a picture of those hands, hands that bathed her, fed her, and raised her. Hands that would have joined hers for the nurturing of the next generation.

"Tyler would have liked a boy; you know, mayor, city council and all that. Whereas… Matt is a sucker for girls." Caroline goes through the boys she had dated and wonders if they had ever thought of a future with her.

"I once overheard Jeremy and Tyler agreeing that, Marley, "_is like the best name in the world dude_", although am pretty sure there was a bong in Jeremy's room at the time. Matt would have named the girl after you; boy was always such a pleaser."

"I was the only figure he had closest to a mother. But off course you wouldn't have gone down without a fight."

"Obviously mom! I would have named her something like Angela, Svetlana or-."

"-Timothy?" Liz laughs.

As the years pass, her mother ages gracefully. The backyard, with its blooming sunflowers, tulips, and roses are a sign of her time spent during retirement years. She spends days snipping, clipping, patting and planting. Caroline would sit out in the sun those days, cased in the safety of her ring. A glass of long island in her hand, watching as her mother created their own Eden. Even once night fell upon them, the glass empty, Caroline stayed back, staring up at the monthly full moons. Trying so very hard to breathe in the fragrance of her mother's gardenias.

Some days she would join her mother in action. Helping her carry the bags of fertilisers to the garden. Placing nets over the strawberry patches. Watering the plants once they were placed into the soil. _Darling, that's too much water!_ And on the very rare occasions, when the sunflowers were facing the sun and the cherry tomatoes were growing in perfect speed, her mother joined her. They reclined side by side in blue and white striped seats, glasses of lemonade in their hands. The lazy hum of the cicadas lulled them into ease. No words were spoken, no looks were given. And if weren't for her age, Caroline thought, they could have maybe even looked like a family. Just the two of them. Finally in peace with one another.

* * *

Over the phone Elijah instructs her to do nothing but pack lightly and be ready to leave town immediately she can hear the hum of a foreign language in the background. Strangely she can even feel the sun.

"Where are you?" she asks in confusion.

_Paris, Rome, Tokyo._

"Listen to me carefully Caroline and do as I say." He instructs, deliberately ignoring her question. "I need you to put on your ring- did you hear what I said? You will need to put on the Bennett witch's ring." He shouts a little louder, trying to speak over the growing noise around him.

Suddenly there are three firm knocks at the door.

"Elijah! Was that you?" she smiles, almost squeals, growing slightly excited by the minute. Caroline quickly hangs up the phone and bounds over to the door with newfound energy, only to find quite the opposite of what she had been expecting.

"Call me Kol."

* * *

i Quote: Oliver Wendell Holmes

This is my first story here. I'm looking for a beta! Leave me a review pls xx


	2. Bonnie

_a/n: Before beginning another chapter just wanted to say thank you to the reviewers. Your comments were lovely and I've read them about a hundred times repeatedly. I also want to warn readers that this is a Caroline-centric fic. The hero of the story won't appear for a long time, and by that I mean a **very** long time, maybe the second last chapter, if he even appears at all. This fic is mainly Caroline on a journey, a journey about herself, towards herself, which from time to time becomes a journey she shares with others. I think in our current modern time we need to find ourselves before we find others, to finally find a home._

* * *

_chapter two**: I can see the flickers, over me the lanterns raised.**_

"Call me Kol." He says smugly, rocking on the heels of his feet, with his hands inside the pockets of his ridiculously paisley patterned silk jacket. There are many things about this Mikaelson which makes him incredibly "pretty" according to Caroline; his girlishly evil smile, the way he flips his head sideways to move hair out of his eyes, his fluid movements mirroring that of a ballerina. There is a small smile stretching tug at the corner of her lips at the thought of Kol with his hair in a tight bun. At this, Kol smiles even bigger. "Atta girl! You know Elijah was oh-so worried you wouldn't respond well to my services. But alas I see you've warmed up to us Mikaelsons." His smile stretches bigger and bigger, to a point of contagiousness. The boy is _always _smiling.

"What services?" She asks suspiciously, narrowing her eyes. This is the first time in sixty years she has seen the youngest male Mikaelson, her last memory of him virtually non-existent.

"Why, our family hybrids off course!" Kol gestures gleefully behind him, her eyes take in the accumulating group of buff men in dark hoodies and jackets. He introduces them like a circus ring master would a bike riding Elephant. He's probably practiced this show to perfection, knowing him.

Kol turns back to face her, she's still standing in the doorway, unintentionally bocking his entrance. A flash of empathy appears across his face as he realises what she doesn't know yet. What Elijah promised he would originally see to. Kol sighs softly and says the next few words with the utmost sensitivity.

"May I come in, Caroline?" There is no smile as he asks for permission. He watches as she gradually recognises the significance of this moment. With passing of one owner of the house, the rights are carried down to the next of kin. Even though she's a vampire and human rules did not apply to her anymore from now on and for ever onwards, it would always be Caroline's decision whom she invited into her home. No longer under the wings of her mother, no longer safe to trust the instincts of her guardian. Penultimately alone.

* * *

'How can I be sure my home won't be annihilated during my absence?'

'How can you be sure you will ever go back to that one pony town?' Kol cringes, clearly not impressed by the proposal of her eventual return.

They're on the Mikaelson jet as Caroline wants to absolutely make sure that her home isn't harmed.

'Mikaelson.'

'Elijah will take care of that, something about a witch, spell.' He mumbles and rolls his eyes and tries to change the subject with a wave of his hand. His eyes follow the cleavage of a soon to be fucked- and- forgotten brunette air hostess, she stops and bends forward too close to hand him a hot towel. With a subtle bite of the lips and dangerous sex eyes, the hot towel brunette walks away from them, deliberately swaying her hips. Kol bites back a groan. The air hostess is _super_-hot and he'll be damned if those incredible legs aren't wrapped around him within the next five minutes.

'Forbes, you can take care of yourself for a while. Yes?' He languidly wipes his fingers with the towel. Taking a few seconds off from eyeing the brunette to look at Caroline.

'I-, yes, why?'

'Entertainment.' He says in short before in a flash, he disappears. No signs of a Johnny Depp look alike, a là 21 Jump Street.

* * *

She should have worn shorts instead of the jeans, like Kol suggested. But it was his fault for not informing her that they were headed to Nassau. These originals had some serious communication issues. No doubt having found _entertainment_, Kol looks incredibly pleased with himself as they step off the family jet; he says nothing as they walk around in Nassau, along the beaches, next to the boutique stores. It's incredibly warm and the tourists crowd up the town like bees in a beehive.

'I made it very clear that I wanted to see Bonnie.'

'And where on earth do you think she lives?' He snaps, clearly not amused by her attitude.

'Bonnie lives here? In the Bahamas?'

'I should say so; my sources are never wrong. Now are you going to just stand there or shall we go visit the witch.'

They arrive in front of a small cottage facing the beach. The whole house is so ridiculously blue she wants to laugh. The windows and thin wooden pillars are lined in blinding white, the front yard is all sand and the doormat says 'Home Sweet Home'. Caroline has doubts as to whether this is Bonnie's home, as she was never so inviting or expressive with colours. Kol stands against the mailbox, no intention of entering. She turns around and knocks on the door, hoping it was Bonnie who was thudding towards the door.

There is a teenage girl who answers the door, for a minute Caroline thinks it is bonnie but then the confused look on her face says otherwise.

'Can I help you?' She says, holding a tub of Ben and Jerry's standing in her jean shorts and bikini top.

'Is this the Bennett residence? I'm an old friend of Bonnie.'

'You're an _old _friend of Bonnie's?' The girl repeats sceptically, with a raised eyebrow, she has opened the door wider, letting Caroline see the white clean interior.

'Could you let Bonnie know, that she has a visitor?' Caroline asks nicely, not caring about the teenager's questions. The girl gives her a bored look.

'Don't tell me what to do.' She mumbles and walks away, leaving the door open. Caroline turns back to see Kol standing in the same spot he had when they arrived. He gives her a reassuring smile. The girl comes back into the room, the tub of ice cream nowhere in sight.

'Please, come in,' The teenage girl says, addressing her with a little more politeness this time. 'Grams is out in the back.'

Caroline heads into the house. It's spacious and airy, suiting the island temperatures. Pictures adorn the mantel piece above the never used fireplace. Pictures of Bonnie's family, her father, herself and her own grandmother, her cousins, many witches she had come across and befriended in her youth. There are people Caroline doesn't recognise, more so than she would like to admit. Bonnie, ages through the pictures, she and her husband, their first daughter, their second, then their third and finally a boy. They all grow together, generation after generation. Sixty years of family. Caroline sees Bonnie become a grandmother in front of her eyes.

The girl leads her through a hallway and out into the back, the ground is patches of white sand and brown soft grass, she walks barefoot. Onto their right is the beach, fenced lightly by low hanging palm trees. She eyes a small figure in the distance sitting on a bamboo seat.

It's Bonnie.

Her hair flows softly down her back, the black almost finished fading into grey, the breeze from the beach licks at the tips of her hair, falling and rising once every while.

'Is that you, Caroline?' a broken voice calls out. A whimper escapes Caroline's throat, she drops onto the ground, her face falling onto Bonnie's knees. She lowers her face to hide the tears.

'Caroline, look at me.' Bonnie's hand ungrasps hers and makes way to her wet face. 'Don't cry, please.' She says wiping away the tears. 'Some of us have the gift of ageing and we must accept it graciously.' She lifts her chin. And for the first time Caroline looks at Bonnie's eyes. The ones which used to be so beautifully green have been clouded by white; they stay still, looking out into the ocean behind Caroline.

'I've missed you so much.' She sobs into Bonnie's wrinkled hands.

'And I you, Caroline.' There are tears streaming down Bonnie's face, but she does nothing to stop them.

Even as dusk falls upon them, Caroline is still seated on the sand, her tired head resting on the softness of Bonnie's lap. Bonnie runs her hands through her blonde hair.

'You're so young.' She says nonchalantly,

_And Beautiful, Strong, and full of light._

No envy, no surprise, just a statement.

'And you're so wise, Bon,' Bonnie laughs. 'So nothing's changed really.'

'Would you like to hear about my family Caroline?' Bonnie asks after a while.

Caroline looks up at her. Off course she would. She wants to hear of this idea called family and ageing and celebrating. She wants to hear about a life other than her own. She wants to know about her friends and their lives _post Mystic Falls_.

* * *

Caroline stays with Bonnie for a month; and in a month she tries her best to catch up on the last six decades.

Bonnie shares stories of _her _youth. The youth without Caroline, without Elena, definitely without the Salvatore brothers. She talks of the adventures of her gap year, travelling much of poverty stricken Asia; Cambodia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Laos. How that year changed her. She skilfully practiced witchcraft for years, living up to the expectations of her ancestry. How she and the spirits finally became one.

Bonnie talks highly of her days in Radcliffe College. That one time she finally learned pottery and joined the theatre club for fun. How she was high for much of the time during her sophomore year. How she rekindled her romance with Jaime during her junior year, while he studied at BU. She graduated at the top of her class, no regrets about not having her mother by her side.

She and Jaime have four children together. Their first daughter; Tessa, their second; Madison, adopted from Vietnam, their third daughter Josephine and their first and last son Evan. All exceptional witches and warlock. Bonnie recalls the most painful labour being Evan, even though he turned out to be the quietest and sensitive and loving, just like his father. She talks of Tessa becoming an advocate for human rights, never having gotten married, too busy with her fight for women's rights. However she does give Bonnie a grandchild somewhere in Berlin. The child turns out to be half Turkish, loathing his mother for never revealing his father's identity. However, he visits his grandparents more than he does his own mother.

Bonnie recounts Madison being dangerously intellectual, becoming smarter than her mother and father combined, but surprising them by never once questioning her adoption. She goes on to study at the London Business School. Declines offers from various firms and starts her own news station and fast becomes owner to one of the top fortune 500 companies in the world.

Josephine changes through the seasons, rebellious one month, mousy and quiet like her brother another. Her hair suffers these changes, from pink to orange during junior year, white during her wedding and back to her original black in time for her first child. Josephine coincidently marries Jeremy Gilbert's only son; John Gilbert II. Together with their two lovely children they travel the world, Josephine reports for her sister's news empire as a war zone correspondent.

Evan grows to become an early childhood teacher at a local school. He doesn't lack ambition; instead he opts for looking out for his ageing parents, never straying too far from them. He has a boy and a wife, with whom he lives a few streets away. His mother and sisters dote on him endlessly.

Through her month long stay with Bonnie, Caroline watches the Bennett family move around her. She watches as Bonnie's grandchildren visit her unusually occasionally. She notes the strong notion of familial loyalty and the love they have with and for one another. It makes her happy that Bonnie finally has a family to call her own.

It makes Caroline wonder how her family would have turned out. If she had one.

She connects well with Josephine and her daughter, both a replica of Bonnie. Josephine takes time off her work for this quarter of the year to take care of Bonnie. Together she and her daughter show Caroline around the Bahamas. They exchange stories of Bonnie's life before Jaime passed. When they used to live in Honolulu. The first stages of Bonnie's loss of eyesight. They have stories of countless occasions. But are left almost clueless when asked about Tyler Lockwood, or Matt Donovan or even Elena Gilbert.

'Mama almost never talks of her high school days.' Says Josephine as they walk along a boulevard, the beach mere steps away.

'It's not that she hates to, I think, she thinks of it as a very sacred time.' Says Josephine's daughter, Jayne.

'And you never thought to ask Jeremy about it all?' Caroline wonders.

'He's just like Bonnie, won't say a word. Mom, Dad, Jeremy, they had this secret pact I guess. We've seen pictures off course. You and Tyler Lockwood. You and Matt Donovan. Elena and Matt Donovan, Elena and Stefan Salvatore.'

'Has Bonnie ever mentioned, as to why she left Mystic Falls?' Caroline treads carefully around these questions.

'We're a pretty big family, Caroline. After a while you learn to shrug off the mystery.' Josephine says casually.

She sees Kol on the other side of the road, sinfully devouring a paw paw. She scowls at him. He slowly winks at her and walks off into the crowd of shoppers.

* * *

Bonnie senses something wrong when Caroline is unusually quiet one day.

'You're leaving.' She states knowingly. Caroline lets out an audible sigh.

'Not even a year could make up for the lost time between you and me, Bonnie. But I need to find the others. I need to find Matt, Elena, and Tyler. I need them to know how sorry I am before time runs out.' She says exasperatedly. It's a whole mouthful, but albeit unnecessary as Bonnie is nodding her head and grinning widely.

'I know, I know. It's ok Caroline, I understand, I'm not exactly going anywhere'

'I'm really glad I came to see you first Bonnie. I'm…'

'I hope you find whatever it is you're looking for Caroline. I hope you find peace, and I hope that finally within your journey, you find love.'

* * *

Caroline makes her way up the stairs to her mother's room. She reaches into the jewellery box and smiles at the lack of ornaments. Elizabeth Forbes was nothing like her girly daughter. There, in a small compartment, isolated, sits the Lapis Lazuli. It doesn't sparkle, or shine, or twinkle, but it sure does a hell of a lot more than that. Even after twenty years the ring fits perfectly onto her finger. Moments spent with Bonnie and Stefan flash into her mind.

'I'm going to visit her you know, Bonnie; she's the first I want to visit.' The reflection in the mirror of Kol leaning against the doorway smiles at her, nodding in agreement.

She's almost claustrophobic in her own home as the hybrids zoom from one corner of the house to another. They willingly and skilfully pack objects into boxes, cover furniture with white sheets, lock the windows and spray pesticide _everywhere_. Like a gymnastic troupe they move around in sync, managing not to bump into each other, managing not to break the vases. She watches from the staircase as they prepare the house for the absence of maintenance, for the long awaited departure of Caroline.

Outside, two of the hybrids try to manage the garden. In the absence of her mother, and the presence of autumn, the plants stopped showing signs of growth. With ease the hybrids destroy everything. Gone are the strawberry patches, the tulips are ripped apart, the gardenias are crushed until they are bruised and brown.

Kol grabs her shoulder in effort to stop her from running to the garden.

'My mother-.'

'-Is not here anymore.'

'Are you trying to devoid this home of every form of life?!' She shouts, trying to pull her arm away from his firm grasp, offended by his lust for destruction.

'I am helping you let go. Which must happen in order for you to move forward into the world, to become independent,' Kol frowns. 'You are a vampire Caroline, you live forever, and you may have to live it alone.'

She knows he speaks from some sort of experience, this coming from the guy who spent a hundred years in a coffin.

_Dressed immaculately for every decade, you're welcome._

'My mother and I spent every day in that garden, Kol,' Caroline looks back into the lawn, where the brutal demolition continues. Like the massacre Alexander caused in Persia, ruthless destruction of breathing, growing life forms. In some ways, the scene reminds her of _him;_ his constant need for bloody, painful carnage. 'If I'm going to live forever, I want to live in my past for a little longer.'

Slowly she walks into her mother's backyard. In a matter of hours the plot of land had turned into masses of upturned soil and scattered green stems and leaves. She places herself in the middle of all this. The rain falls on her, gradually plastering her hair to her face, wrinkling the skin on her fingers. The world turns slow for her. She can see the fat drops of water falling on her nose, crashing onto the ground, turning earth into mud. She can see the muscles sharply clench and unclench on the hybrid's arm as he grabs the stem of a sunflower and flings it behind him carelessly. The rose petals fall in surrender, like the red blood dripping from _his_ lips.


	3. Kol

_a/n: I'm so very sorry for the mess that was last chapter. Honesty, I like Bonnie, But I can't write her. I understand that Bonnie is a special part of Caroline's life, but if I tried too hard, I probably would have turned her ghetto. But glad that I got it over and done with. Thanks for the loveliest reviews once again. I cry a little every time someone makes the effort in telling me what they see through my words. This is my favourite chapter by far, read it as many times as you fancy._

* * *

_chapter three: **Together, to be.**_

In New York City, it's the end of fall as the orange leaves of the maple trees at Central Park swim to the ground, paving the way for winter. Caroline remembers the last time she had a proper Christmas. With her friends, family, and neighbours she didn't have to lie to or hide from.

Christmases with her dad putting up the lights and her mother cooking her favourites. Christmas day lunches at the Lockwood mansion, where she, Elena and Tyler hid in Mayor Lockwood's office from Matt, Jeremy and Vicky.

As the years go by they all get older, busier, and then on a vengeful day he makes them disappear.

As she and Kol drive down 5th, past the luxurious town houses and the iron wrought gates towards the tall towers and the chic boutiques, he jokes that while the signature New York sour mood bodes her well, she shouldn't find herself too attached to this place as they're only here for a few days.

'Why?' she asks Kol as he hands his personal key card to the surprised concierge before heading into the elevator and up to the penthouse.

'I beg your pardon'?

'Why are we here at all? I wanted to see Matt.' She persists.

'I take you wherever Elijah says I take you, darling.' She cringes at his term of endearment. But argues no further knowing full well of the extent Kol obeys his eldest brother. Under Elijah's word, no harm could ever come to Caroline.

The elevator dings and Kol allows her to step onto the black and white checkered marble floor. She's not surprised at the grandeur of the place, it's a little Edwardian and a whole lot of Parisian. With high ceilings and glass and copper hints, soft crème furnishing and dark table tops. It's a lot to take in, but that's the way Rebekah liked to live, Kol says.

'And this is all yours?' She means not only Kol, but his siblings aswell.

'No, it's yours.' For a moment her breath hitches and her human senses flood back to her, her heart beats and her blood rushes to her head. But only for a moment. She turns to see Kol next to her, looking at the sight of Central Park sprawled out in front of them. Its soft-red wispy ends lay at the feet of the large glass wall of the penthouse.

'He bought this house for you. A gift, if you will, for when you would have finally accepted him.' Kol explains, 'We moved out here on the fall of that year. Brother, convinced us that here we would be a family again. We could hide in between the millions of people or redeem and rule again as The Originals. Rebekah had been permitted to decorate and Elijah was gifted the largest walk-in for his suits.' He says with a small smile.

'He hoped when the darkest days of winter loomed over the city, you would join us. Sharing with us some of that light you hold.'

'How very presumptuous of him.' She quips, trying to lighten the mood. But something in the way he looks at the park below them with a tight lipped smile makes her think he did not feel the same way. That he too, along with Rebekah and Elijah and their hybrid brother had hoped for the same future.

* * *

He comes out of his room to find the usually unused dining table filled on one side with warm dishes and a bottle of unopened wine.

'Are you trying to compensate for your mistakes?' He says cheekily.

Back in the days of Elena's Salvatore love drama, Caroline saw a lot of The Mikaelson's. She had become close to Rebekah when it seemed they would be sticking around in Mystic Falls longer than anticipated. Even Finn, who loathed the outside world, having quite gotten used to living in a coffin, helped out the sheriff with her duties every now and then. But it was Kol, the youngest, who never stuck around for long.

'And play along with my family's happy facade?' He raises an eyebrow, swirling the red liquid in the wine glass. 'I had a whole world waiting for me! 'Places to go and ... People to see.'

_There's a whole world out there. _

She never heard much about Kol from his sister, as Rebekah had the sensitivity to not bring up her siblings during light conversations. After all, the family had been the cause of so much grief. But every now and then the original blonde would accidently bring him up.

"Kol says Greece is lovely around this time of the year." Or "Offcourse I would get top marks in Russian History. Kol was great friends with Stalin.' Or 'Kol hasn't called for twelve months now. I miss my brother, Caroline.'

Kol was not a part of the exile her friends suffered nor was he present to witness her self imprisonment. He did not care for the cure, for Katerina or later Katherine. He couldn't conjure any meaning in settling down to a mediocre life in one-pony-town Virginia. In the history of the The Mikaelsons vs. Mystic Falls 2010-11, he is not involved.

Though she realises, as she sits here with him, after so many years, that maybe Kol was just a boy in a search to become a man. That he learnt from Tunisia, Australia, Bolovia, And Colombia what he couldn't learn from his brothers. The slums of India lead to the Himalayan Mountains, across Arab deserts, down the Nile river and into the wild forests of Africa. Kol goes where time has gone but failed. Where vast lands and ancient waters wait only for him. They wait for him to catch up. Those loyal to him, move only with him. And once Kol breathes it all in, the time, the culture, the history, they lead him to his next journey. Knowing he will be back one day,

_One day, maybe in a year or even in a century._

* * *

It seems they'll be in Manhattan for a while longer than initially planned; Kol informs her next morning during breakfast at a bakery down the avenue. Apparently Matt absolutely does not want to be found. Opting to stay away from his past, in order to protect his family.

'He's become quite difficult to track down. But don't you fret, my hybrids are on it.' Caroline finds something not quite right about the way Kol finds difficulty in keeping tabs on Matt.

'Is he avoiding me?' She forces out. Kol grimaces at her realisation.

'Things aren't very sunshine daisy with your ex,' He clarifies. 'The Matt you loved is no more. So let's just abandoned this mission for now-'

'Kol, what's going on?' She gives him a hard look. He takes along drag of his cigarette and gulps down the rest of his orange juice, trying to stall time.

'After my brother declared his fatwa against your friends, Matt ran. No word as to where he would go, who he would be with. Soon after, he became a menace across the eastern seaboard. A vampire hunter, hunting but running at the same time. He massacred many of my brother's clans, became the sole reason for the drop in the hybrid army. He became my brother's number one target.'

'That doesn't explain why he should avoid me.'

Kol gives out a hollow laugh. 'Caroline. Don't you understand? Matt is a vampire hunter, albeit a retired one, but a hunter nonetheless. He may feel nothing for you anymore. As far as he believes, his exile is your fault.'

People walking by them on the street give Kol looks of disgust, as they see Caroline tearing up. Her eyes are full to the brim with tears, they trickle down her cheeks. Her nose red and her body cold.

'You should be ashamed of yourself young man, breaking up with a girl in public.' Some lady tuts as she walks out of the bakery, handing Caroline a packet of Kleenex.

'She's my sister.' Kol tries to explain, but it comes out as only a whisper, too late for anyone walking by to hear. 'C'mon,' he gets up from his wicker seat and holds out a hand. 'I can't bear it when pretty girls cry.' He says, tapping his feet impatiently when Caroline refuses to get up.

'I want to see Matt, Kol,' she sniffles up at him. His silhouette blocks the morning sun as the rays create a soft glow around his body. 'Promise me you'll find him.' She pleads. Kol can't help but smile at the sight of her squinting up at him, her scarf so big and snug, it almost eats away her chin.

'I promise.'

* * *

Weeks go by without any news about Matt's whereabouts. Some days he is supposedly hunting in the woods of Vermont, others declare he was sighted driving down the Texan highway.

So until solid information comes through, Kol shows her around his city. He takes her across the Brooklyn Bridge, up to Long Island, down to the meat packing district where Kol and Jude Law get into a nasty bar brawl about who's more English.

Kol almost dies of breathlessness whilst laughing when Caroline remarks that Jude may have actually been hitting on Kol, and that his heterosexuality may not be as clear as he expresses.

'What can I say Caroline, not even Sienna's perfectly styled mane can measure up to my blonde locks.' He drawls as he teases his hair, looking at the antique mirror which, according to him once belonged to Marie Antoinette. 'It's the unattainable Mikaelson genes.' He runs his hands down his jaw.

Some days it gets so frosty in the apartment, and nothing in the city offers sufficient entertainment, that they spend a majority of their hours blazing up in Elijah's empty closest to avoid the smoke alarms. The Californian quality buds do little to suppress their boredom, but they make do by dancing to the soundtrack of the Breakfast Club, snacking on black caviar stolen from the Trump Towers' kitchen and sipping on Florida inspired mimosas concocted by Kol.

Time spent with Kol is time well spent, Caroline decides. This is not a halt in her journey, but rather this is a part of her journey. In the beginning she had thought Kol to be a constant reminder of his older brother. A walking memory related to her past. But as the days fly by, Kol shows her a side of him she didn't know existed. Kol with his smart mouth, handsome jaw and silky hair which could definitely push Stefan off his throne. He is a mixture of her own eccentricity, a little bit of Stefan's brooding; a lot of Katherine's crazy but there's wisdom within him that she's sure not even Elijah has seen.

He'll take her out shopping, spending days at a time holed up with her at Bendel's handbag department, his Centurion Amex racking up a bill so high in such short amount of time that he has to ground her for a few days just so it can get working again. Other days he'll force her to stroll down Central Park, find a patch of sun on Sheep Meadow and recite his favourite Browning classics. And on the rare occasions he disappears alone into the night, coming home the next afternoon reeking of warm blood, sex, and aged whiskey.

She doesn't dare to speak to him on those days. Doesn't dare to question his whereabouts. She reminds herself that technically the boy in front of her is a thousand year old man. He has dined with royalty, slept with celebrities and walked side by side with history. She doesn't hold a candle to his wisdom, his knowledge and his judgement. Frankly, she avoids him like the plague during his wild escapades. Something about his masculine demeanour frightens her.

She planned to avoid him today like many a day before until she hears the sound of laughter. Caroline is in the safe confinements of her room when the laughter doubles. The second, a female. Her laughter sweet and melodic. A harmless giggle Caroline's sure she has heard before. She presses her ear up to the door for better sound, but the couple have reduced their voices to whispers… and kisses.

'She'll hear-'  
'-...sleeping'  
'Kol-'  
'-not now-'  
'-Kol'  
'-tease.'

Their whispers die down and everything becomes eerily quiet. Caroline assumes Kol and his flavour of the day have retreated into his room. Slowly she opens her door and heads to Finn's study to retrieve her phone when she's met with the most peculiar image.

There, sitting on the brown leather couch is Kol, sipping on a cup of coffee. His left arm slung around the girl who moulds perfectly into his side. Her legs propped up on the thick arm rest and her black hair splayed across his bloodless Burberry button up clad chest.

The couple turn their heads as Caroline unexpectedly falls through the door. Within a matter of nanoseconds Caroline comes face to face with Anna.

'We've met before.' The girl says more to Kol than her.

Kol looks at Caroline, slightly surprised. 'Under what circumstances?'

Anna avoids his question and walks upto collect Caroline into an embrace.

'How have you been Caroline?' Anna is very much aware of Caroline's previous predicament. Hell, the whole supernatural world knows of the big bad hybrid's unleashed anger upon the people of Mystic falls. But it is rather rude to just presume

'I've been better.' The blonde says.

It is one of the very few times Caroline ever speaks to Anna.

* * *

Now that Kol has finally come out to Caroline about his personal indiscretions, Anna becomes a frequent guest in their apartment. Caroline doesn't hover too often, considering as _she's _the new addition to their life. Though she can't help but watch them from afar.

'I knew her long before all this. When she was a child… a human.' Kol says.

'Did you love her then?'

'Why do you think I was daggered?'

_Love is a vampire's greatest weakness._

* * *

In the season of the snow, Kol drags her out to Wollman Park. It is early morning but the sun has decided to show. They are one of the very few people there. With his guidance they go on to make figure eights across the rink. Soon Kol prances around gracefully while Caroline barely manages to make circles around the ice.

Hours pass as the people who have been unfortunate enough to not join their friends in Aspen crowd the two vampires. For a while in amidst all the people Caroline loses Kol, only to find him chasing Anna. The young couple zoom about everywhere; a picture perfect image of young love to the tourists around them.

Caroline leans against the railing, to catch her breath. Donned in white and baby blue Miu Miu, she timidly watches the couple with a twinge of sadness. Anna lets out a brilliant squeal when Kol lifts her by the waist, small skate clad feet dangle from the air as she is enveloped into a bear hug by him.

Their love is the kind Bon Iver croons about in his timeless ballads.

'Don't you ever leave me again.' He whispers to her, pleads, holding onto the girl for dear life.

Anna's black hair emits a shade of copper in the sun's light, their cheeks are rosy and their skin is porcelain perfect compared to the surrounding Manhattan's rich and elite. In their blissful moment she knows Kol deserves Anna, Kol _belongs_ with Anna and Anna knows the same.

'I'd never dream of it.'


End file.
